Daughter of Aithne; Karin Rita Gastreich Author

Betrayed by her own prodigy, Eolyn stands accused of treason. As power-hungry nobles dismantle her life’s work and honor, the desperate queen forges a risky alliance with the ruthless and cunning Mage Corey. Determined to defend her son’s claim to the throne of the Mage King, Eolyn prepares for her last and greatest battle, this time against her own sisters in magic.

Across the Furma River, Taesara of Roenfyn is drawn out of seclusion and into an ever-more vicious game of intrigue and war. Subject to the schemes of a shrewd uncle and the mysterious ambitions of the wizards of Galia, Taesara struggles to assert her own destiny, even as she takes up arms to defend her daughter’s inheritance.

In the climactic finale to The Silver Web trilogy, threads of love, honor, betrayal, and vengeance culminate in a violent conflict between powerful women, opposed to each other yet destined to shatter a thousand-year cycle of war.

“An enticing and elegant series finale, filled with magic and turmoil.” -KIRKUS REVIEWS

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Excerpt:

Eolyn shifted in her seat. A thousand words stood poised upon her lips, of which only a handful could be chosen and delivered. Each conversation in the coming days had to be undertaken with great care, especially when it came to this mage.

“Why did Thelyn come for us, and not you?” she asked.

“I was needed to track down the magas still residing in the City,” Corey replied. “Besides, Thelyn was the better mage for that task.”

Mariel, she thought. He would not have had the heart to bind Mariel.

A small sign, perhaps, that Mage Corey could yet be counted among her friends.

“I understand you are to oversee their interrogation,” Eolyn said.

“It is true, my Lady Queen.”

“I have expressed my concerns about this to the King. He assures me that you and your mages will not be permitted to—”

“My Lady Queen, if there is one thing you have learned in the years of our friendship, it is that I will do whatever must be done in the moment at hand, and I will harden my heart to see it through.”

“That may be the case, Mage Corey. Yet I also know that words are your most effective tool. You have never resorted to violence to obtain what you require.”

Corey let her statement hang in the air.

Eolyn averted her gaze, suddenly aware of the icy tension in her hands.

I, too, am being interrogated.

“You did not bring a scribe,” she said quietly.

“What need have I for a scribe, my Lady Queen?” He softened his tone. “We are, as of yet, simply conversing.”

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Interview with the Author:

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been making up stories ever since I can remember. The first story I remember writing was based on a dream I had when I was a little girl. I woke up before the dream ended, so I wrote my own story to fill in the missing scenes!

2. How long have you been a published author?

I published my first fantasy fiction novel, Eolyn, with Hadley Rille Books in 2011. The second edition of Eolyn was released five years later in 2016.

3. What titles do you have available?

All three volumes of my fantasy trilogy, The Silver Web, are now available in Kindle and paperback. In the first book, we meet Eolyn, a young woman who inherits a forbidden tradition of magic. Eolyn’s struggle to restore women’s magic to her people forms the central conflict of the trilogy. In the second book, Sword of Shadows, Eolyn’s dream is nearly destroyed when war tears apart her small community of women practitioners. Eolyn and her sisters in magic survive the terrors of war only to meet their greatest challenge in the third and final book, Daughter of Aithne. Here, threads of love, honor, betrayal, and vengeance culminate in a violent conflict between Eolyn and her most determined adversary, Taesara of Roenfyn.

4. What made you choose the subject of this book?

I’ve always wanted to see more woman-centered fantasy novels. This trilogy, which features powerful women on all sides of the conflict, grew out of that desire.

5. Do you have any new titles coming soon?

I’m working on a collection of contemporary fantasy novels entitled Path of Souls. Set in my hometown of Kansas City, the series pits mature female protagonists against a realm of supernatural beings who battle each other for dominion over human souls.

6. What is your favourite genre and why?

I love historical fiction, especially stories about women set in medieval and Renaissance times. There have been many extraordinary women throughout history, and think their stories are not told nearly enough.

7. What, to you, is the most exciting part of the writing process?
Finishing!

If you could co-author a book with anyone, who would you choose and why?

I would love to co-author a book with Guy Gavriel Kay. Of course, I don’t know what he’d be like to work with, but I admire his approach to writing fantasy and the poetry of his prose.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Karin Rita Gastreich writes stories of ordinary women and the extraordinary paths they choose. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where she is part of the biology faculty at Avila University. An ecologist by vocation, Karin has wandered forests and wildlands all her life. Her pastimes include camping, hiking, music, and flamenco dance. In addition to THE SILVER WEB trilogy, Karin has published short stories in World Jumping, Zahir, Adventures for the Average Woman, and 69 Flavors of Paranoia. She is a recipient of the Spring 2011 Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency.